Reading Writing Fill in the Blanks - Overview and Tips | Reading Section for PTE PDF Download

Overview

While it's possible to learn tricks for tasks like Re-order paragraphs, Read Aloud, Repeat Sentences, and others, the same approach doesn't apply to this specific task. Achieving proficiency in this task requires taking multiple PTE online tests to enhance your skills and secure a high score. Let's delve into the details of this task.

In Reading: Fill in the Blanks, you will encounter a passage of around 80 words with several missing words. Partial credit is awarded for each correctly filled blank, and there are typically 4-5 such questions. This task evaluates your grammatical skills and contextual understanding. Below the passage, you'll find options, which are usually more in number than the blanks. Your task is to drag and drop the words you deem appropriate into the respective blanks, essentially involving drag-and-drop blanks. The passages in this task are not extensive and predominantly revolve around academic topics, literature, or social science.

Crucially, effective reading is key! Incorrect approaches can lead to unnecessary time consumption. To excel in this task, speed and accuracy are paramount. While reading contributes to improving your vocabulary, practice specifically tailored to this task is essential for increasing your speed. Keep in mind that this task significantly impacts your vocabulary scores and heavily relies on grammar.

In terms of scoring, you receive 1 credit for each correct answer, with no deductions for incorrect responses. Thus, you can anticipate accumulating approximately 15+ credits for this overall task. It's important to note that Pearson PTE refers to "credits" rather than marks or points. Nevertheless, these credits hold considerable significance for your PTE reading score.

Another variation of Fill in the Blanks questions is the "Reading and Writing Fill in the Blanks." As you might have guessed, these questions impact both your writing and reading scores.

Tips

Do not spend more than 2 minutes on this task

Attempt to answer this question within approximately 1.5-2 minutes. Refrain from exceeding this time limit by quickly reviewing the passage. Due to its brevity, skimming through the content should provide a general understanding of the words and context—whether they function as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. By grasping the passage's context swiftly, you are more likely to select the appropriate word for a given blank.

Take care of the technicalities

For this assignment, you're required to drag and drop the word into the designated blank box. When attending to technicalities, it's crucial not to rush the drag-and-drop process. Ensure precise placement of the word in the blank, and then verify if the blank has been appropriately filled. After addressing all the blanks, double-check to confirm that the intended words occupy the correct spaces, with no blanks left unfilled. Only proceed to click the next button once you are certain of the accuracy. Feel free to modify your answers at any point before clicking the next button.

Use the knowledge of grammar

After skimming through the provided passage, you'll gain familiarity with the subject matter and may even be able to anticipate the word suitable for the blank, considering whether it should be an adjective, adverb, noun, verb, or preposition. It's crucial to carefully read the words preceding and following the blank, allowing you to assess the response based on tenses and word collocation. Grammar plays a significant role in this process.

Ensure a solid grasp of the fundamentals, and you'll encounter fewer challenges with this task. Identify blanks you can answer quickly without dwelling on uncertainties. In some instances, understanding certain words or the context of the passage may be challenging. In such cases, familiarity with Subject-Verb-Object predicates and general grammar can clarify many aspects, making the task much easier. Locate the missing part of speech.

Understand the verb form when used with a single noun and multiple nouns. Learn the correct use of articles with countable and uncountable nouns. Uncountable nouns cannot have "a/an" before them, whereas countable nouns will use "a/an." Additionally, countable nouns can adopt a plural form with "s" at the end, while uncountable nouns do not. Exceptions exist, and it's essential to be aware of them. Familiarize yourself with various word forms—noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. For example, distinguish between "decision" (noun), "decide" (verb), "decisive" (adjective), and "decisively" (adverb).

Develop good vocabulary

The passages in this task can cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from highly academic subjects to literature. It's possible to encounter numerous unfamiliar or similar words. To enhance your vocabulary and grasp synonyms, make an effort to read academic articles extensively. Take note of unfamiliar words, incorporate them into your usage, and strive to remember them within their contextual meaning. Create your own mini-dictionary. This approach ensures that when you encounter a word, you'll have a decent understanding of its appropriateness for a given blank and also comprehend the meaning of the surrounding sentence.

Collocation of words to rescue

Another crucial aspect to take into account for this task involves being acquainted with collocations. It's essential to recognize words that naturally go together, falling into two categories: academic collocation words and grammatically collocated words.

For example:
"You can achieve your desired score with practice."
In this case, the words "desired score" exemplify collocation. Specific words form a natural pairing, akin to a phrase, and this is referred to as the collocation of words.
"Understanding grammar is necessary to attain a good score in this task."

Try elimination strategy

If you find yourself uncertain about an answer, don't worry—it's not a problem. To save time, focus on comprehending the sentence's intended meaning. Even if you don't know the precise correct word, you can still examine the options and respond. You have the option to eliminate those that are far from conveying the intended meaning of the word that should fit in the sentence, or you can explore the meanings of the words provided.

Learn right use of words that have similar meaning

This scenario is quite common in the Fill in the Blanks task. You might encounter two words with similar meanings and feel unsure about which one fits in the blank. In such cases, determining the correct answer can be approached in two ways. Firstly, consider grammar elements such as prepositions, verbs, and nouns related to the blank. Secondly, examine the sentence's context—test-takers often face confusion when the passage commences with a blank. Read the sentences before and after it, checking for any contradictions in the statements. This approach will help you identify the appropriate word.

For example, if you have the options "Foresee" and "Predict," both having similar meanings, how do you choose the correct answer? In such a situation, relying on grammar and context will guide you to make the right decision.